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“Sisters and brothers come from the same woman Cousins are not as close I was born to Dalanar’s hearth—I am probably of his spirit People say we look alike I think Joplaya is of his spirit, too Her mother is short, but she is tall, like Dalanar Not quite as tall, but a little taller than you, I think

“No one knows for sure whose spirit the Great Mother will choose to mix with a woman’s, so Joplaya and I may be of Dalanar’s spirit, but who knows? That’s e are cousins”

Ayla nodded “Perhaps Uba would be a cousin, but to me she was a sister”

“Sister?”

“We were not true siblings Uba was Iza’s daughter, born after I was found Iza said ere both her daughters” Ayla’s thoughts turned inward “Uba was mated, but not to the man she would have chosen But the otherto s may not mate”

“We don’t mate our brothers or sisters,” Jondalar said “We don’t usually h it is not absolutely forbidden It is frowned on Some kinds of cousins are more acceptable than others”

“What kind of cousins are there?”

“Many kinds, some closer than others The children of your mother’s sisters are your cousins; the children of the mate of your mother’s brother; the children of …”

Ayla was shaking her head “It’s too confusing! How do you knoho is a cousin and who isn’t? Almost everyone could be a cousin… Who is left in your Cave to mate with?”

“Most people don’t mate with people fro I thinkwith cousins is allowed sometimes because you may not know the person you want to mate is a cousin until you name your ties … your relationships People usually know their closest cousins, though, even if they live at another Cave”

“Like Joplaya?”

Jondalar nodded assent, his month full of raspberries

“Jondalar, what if it isn’t spirits that make children? What if it’s a man? Wouldn’t that mean children are just as much from the man as from the woman?”

“The baby grows inside a woman, Ayla It comes from her”

“Then why do men and women like to couple?”

“Why did the Mother give us the Gift of Pleasure? You’d have to ask Zelandoni that”

“Why do you always say ‘Gift of Pleasure’? Many things ive a an in a woman?”

“Not only a man, a woman … but you don’t know, do you? You didn’t have First Rites A man opened you, made you a woman, but it’s not the same It was shameful! How could those people let it happen?”

“They didn’t understand, they only sahat he did What he did was not shameful, only the way he did it It was not done for Pleasures—Broud did it with hatred I felt pain and anger, but not shame And no pleasure, either I don’t know if Broud started my baby, Jondalar, or made me a woman so I could have one, but my son made me happy Durc was my pleasure”

“The Mother’s Gift of Life is a joy, but there isof man and woman That, too, is a Gift, and should be done with joy for Her honor”

There ht Yet he seeht? Ayla didn’t quite believe hi

After the e where his implements were laid out Ayla followed and settled herself nearby He spread out the blades he had made so he could compare them Minor differences made some more appropriate for certain tools than others He picked out one blade, held it up to the sun, then showed it to the woman